A man who allegedly led police on a chase through downtown Morgantown before crashing into a graveyard and a man who police say shot at someone as part of a drug dispute were among those who pleaded their innocence during Wednesday’s arraignments for those indicted by the most recent grand jury.
Wednesday was the second of three days of arraignments – where those indicted by the September Monongalia County grand jury – are given the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty. The pleas were heard by Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Gaujot. The grand jury returned 121 indictments September 7.
All who pleaded before Gaujot – thirty people, including nine inmates dressed in orange jumpsuits – pleaded not guilty.
Adam Keller, Ryan Lusk and Brady Mitchell did not appear in court for their arraignment and had capias warrants issued for their arrest.
Tyrone Jackson, 35, was one of those who pleaded not guilty before Gaujot. He was indicted for recklessly fleeing from police and four counts of possession with intent to deliver for heroin, cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana.
The Dominion Post previously reported that on June 14, Morgantown Police officers saw Jackson run a red light at the intersection of High and Walnut streets and began following the vehicle. The officers followed and the Impala ignored a stop sign turning onto Fayette Street from Chestnut Street and a red light on Fayette turning onto High Street where it accelerated to over 80 mph.
The tailing officers used the patrol cars emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The officers stopped attempting to pull the vehicle over as they crossed the bridge on High Street, turning off the lights and sirens.
At the intersection of South High Street and Dorsey Avenue the pursuing officers saw the vehicle crashed through the guardrail and into Oak Grove Cemetery, damaging at least one headstone.
After a short foot pursuit, Jackson was arrested without incident on Callen Avenue; located on the far side of the cemetery where he crashed.
Twenty-four Oxycodone pills, 7.1 grams of heroin, 57.8 grams of marijuana were found on Jackson and a substance thought to be cocaine was found on the driver’s seat of the crashed vehicle.
Demetreas Cunningham, 26, also professed his innocence on counts of wanton endangerment and felon in possession of a firearm to Gaujot.
The Dominion Post previously reported that on November 26, 2017, police went to Glen Abby — near the intersection of West Run Road and Van Voorhis Road — for a reported wanton endangerment.
A man told police he and Cunningham were friends and the two were in a dispute over money owed for marijuana.
Cunningham made several threats and went to the man’s residence. There, Cunningham was in the passenger seat of a car and the man saw a gun inside.
The man went back into the home and came out with his hand in his pocket. Cunningham then lifted the gun and fired one shot. The man fell to the ground, got up and ran back into the house. There was a 4-year-old home at the time.
Tweet Will Dean @WillDean_DP; wdean@domininionpost.com
